


From Shadows

by Runic



Series: Shadows and Lights [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Dark, Arranged Marriage, Dark, F/M, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Pining, Political Alliances, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:14:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23288350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runic/pseuds/Runic
Summary: In the end, he had no one to blame but himself.It was his idea that brought them here, his idea that left him in the shadows of his own victory.He was a shadow now, nothing more. The light of a goddess, whether real or not, was not meant for him.orInjured by an assassin's blade, Khalid did not come to Fódlan until it was to conquer, putting the precious Fódlani goddess into his father's hands.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan, My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan's Father
Series: Shadows and Lights [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1696354
Comments: 17
Kudos: 70





	From Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> This was the original concept I was going to go with when I decided to do an arranged marriage story. But I decided it was too dark, and so switched to Pray. I hope you guys like this little sneak peak into what Pray almost was. 
> 
> I did edit this to change Claude's name given the reveal. I'm pretty sure I managed to catch all of them.

In the end, he had no one to blame but himself. 

It was his idea that brought them here, his idea that left him in the shadows of his own victory. The Fódlani in the crowd wore expressions from false joy to outright anger. The Almyrans, on the other hand, were smug with triumph, clapping each other on the back as their king took the goddess’ hand in his own. 

He stood back, watching as the ribbon was wrapped around the couple’s hands. It was a symbol meant to show the unity of their marriage, to show the joining of two countries after centuries of war. If the feel in the room was anything to go by, that was all a lie to be repeated through gritted teeth.

But in the end, this was his doing. Stars, his mother probably hated him right now. And his father...well, he never really knew what his father was thinking. If the smile on his face was anything to go by, his father was revelling in his victory.

And who could blame him? This victory would be presented as his. His father’s name would go down in history as the conqueror who had finally squashed the Fódlani menace. He had even gotten himself a new divine wife in the process.

A muscle in his jaw twitched, irritating his old scars. He pressed fingers against the now healed wound, feeling the phantom pain in his hip that always came whenever he was reminded of the existence of the scars that had stolen the throne from him. His breath caught in his throat, his hand lingering a moment too long, as the bride’s eyes caught his for a split second.

It was gone so quickly it was surprisingly easy to convince himself the whole thing was his imagination. As interesting as he found the woman Fódlan claimed was an actual goddess, the past month he had served as her captor. He could not let himself be fooled, not by the whispered words they exchanged when they ran into each other in the library, and most certainly not by the soft smile she had shown him a few days ago when she caught him petting one of the monastery cats. 

His heart squeezed in upon itself, and he chastised himself for not asking for the goddess incarnate as his prize. But no, that would have done nothing to endear him to her. He probably never would have seen that smile then, and there was little chance his father would have been able to honor his request. He was meant for the shadows now, and she was meant to become a symbol of unity, of a peace that was little more than gilded. 

It didn’t matter now. A great cry went up from the crowd, and he snapped out of his own self pitying thoughts just in time to see his father lean in to kiss his new wife. The bile in his stomach churned, threatening to travel back up his throat. But he fought it down. 

He was a shadow now, nothing more. The light of a goddess, whether real or not, was not meant for him.

/

Khalid did not bat an eye as his father approached him, hoping with a few glasses of wine in him that King Mahtab would not notice how his son’s muscles tensed under the king’s heavy touch on his shoulder.

“You have not congratulated me yet, my son!” Mahtab laughed, smiling wide to show Khalid he truly meant the words as a jest. 

“Well,” Khalid drawled, putting his own teasing tone into the word to keep his father happy, “you seemed so happy with your new bride. I thought it would be rude to interrupt.”

Mahtab laughed, squeezing Khalid’s shoulder before he finally released his son. His gaze traveled across the room to where the goddess’ incarnation sat, barely touching the banquet laid out before her. There was a small green haired woman at her side, Flayn if he remembered correctly, who seemed to be the only member of the Church party trying to keep spirits up. 

“How is mother?” Khalid could not keep himself from asking after a beat of silence fell between them.

Mahtab’s smile fell and he shook his head. “You’ve seen your mother’s anger. Tiana knows that she still has claim on my heart, and knows this new marriage is merely political, but it does not mean she accepts it easily.”

“She is hurt,” Khalid pointed out.

Mahtab sighed, turning his eyes from his new bride and back to his son. “I would spare her this hurt if I could, but unfortunately the game of politics does not spare feelings.” 

Khalid made a noise of half hearted agreement and leaned back against the wall behind him. Pain shot through his side, and he failed at silencing the breath he took in through clenched teeth. Khalid startled when he felt Mahtab’s hand on his shoulder again, gentler this time. “They still pain you, don’t they?”

Khalid could only look away, keeping his own anger and hurt behind sealed lips. 

“My son, I wish…” Mahtab trailed off, knowing that to finish the sentence would do no good for either of them. Mahtab wished the throne to go to him, to the only child he had conceived with his true love. But the assassin’s blade had given Khalid wounds that left him unable to mount a wyvern, let alone the throne, putting an end to that dream forever. Now Khalid’s only place was to serve, doing what he could to accomplish his own schemes from the shadows. He had thought that conquering Fódlan would be a step forward, but seeing the results now he was not so sure.

“I am proud of you.”

The words were so unexpected, Khalid found himself staring at his father with naked shock. He hoped the tears that had sprang into the corners of his eyes would go unnoticed in the candlelight. His father had never told him such a thing before, and as much as he longed to hear those words of affection, he hated the effect they had on him. 

If only they had come earlier.

Mahtab gave Khalid’s shoulder one last squeeze before stepping away, back into the brighter light around the royal dais. He watched as the woman who confused his heart looked up at her husband, that blank expression never once leaving her face.

Mahtab took Byleth’s hand, kissing it like a proper gentleman. He pulled her to her feet, and a whooping cry went through the Almyrans as their king began to lead his bride from the room.

Khalid could not watch. He turned and fled down a side corridor, leaving the sounds of celebration behind him. He knew it was coming, knew he should not let it affect him in such a manner, and yet here he was.

He took the stairs two at a time until he found himself under the open roof. The Fódlani called it the Goddess Tower. They had so many cute little legends attached to it. He doubted any of them had come to it since the battle, not with the top half having collapsed in the attack. 

It was the perfect place to be alone, to watch the stars wheel overhead and simply let it all go.

/

A week had passed since the wedding, and just as Khalid was once more learning to accept the way of the world, there she was, no longer kept busy within the king’s chambers. 

Khalid came to a short stop, breath catching at the sight of her before him. Byleth lifted her head from the book in her hands, blinking at him. It was subtle, so very faint, but he caught the flash of surprise before she schooled her face back.

“Pardon my interruption, Lady Byleth,” Khalid said as he found his voice. 

Byleth breathed out a deep sigh, closing the book she held. “At least someone still calls me that. Everyone else has taken to calling me Consort now.”

It was the most Khalid had ever heard her say at once, and he could not help the grin that tugged at his lips. “You do not enjoy your new title?” he teased.

Byleth shook her head and stepped closer. “No, it makes me feel like I am owned. And that would be your fault.” That shut him up rather fast.

“Ah, well-”

Those intense green eyes turned to him, staring straight into his soul and stealing the breath from his lungs. He understood how the Fódlani could think her a goddess. That gaze made Khalid want to fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness. He was moments away from doing so when she spoke again. “Do not offer me false apologies. I am not angry at what you have done.” She took another step toward him, only an arm’s length away now. “I know what Rhea did, how she responded to your terms of trade. I do not say that we take the full blame for what happened between our countries, but I wish there had been some other way to achieve our goals.”

Khalid refused to let his eyes wander, keeping them glued to Byleth’s face. He had a sneaking suspicion that whomever had designed her goddess regalia had the hots for the goddess herself, and it did not make it any easier to forget those stirring emotions of want. “I do as well, my lady,” Khalid managed in a whisper. 

He spun on his heel and fled away from her once more, needing to put the space between them.

/

“What are you doing here?”

Khalid cursed and spun, his hand going to the dagger at his waist. He was so caught up in his stargazing he had not heard anyone on the stairs. How could he be so stupid? Especially after what happened last time.

The person held up their hands, slowly bending down to kneel at the top of the stairs, keeping as much distance between them as she could. The cloud of fear slowly dissipated, the person holding their non threatening position until his breathing evened out once more. Slowly Byleth lowered her hands, but still she did not move.

It was only when his body felt boneless and weary that Khalid realized he was pointing a weapon at his father’s wife. King’s son or not, the punishment for such an act would be severe if anyone had seen. 

“Shouldn’t sneak up on people like that, milady.” He gave a weak chuckle as he sheathed his dagger.

Byleth blinked at him, tilting her head in such honest curiosity it made his heart skip a beat. She was adorable! She seemed to debate with herself, but eventually settled on not mentioning what just happened, for which Khalid was grateful. He hated the unwelcomed fear that flooded him, spooking him like some startled cat. He always felt so tired afterwards too.

Byleth slowly stood, uncaring of the dust clinging to her skirts. She wore a simple black shirt and shorts, and yet illuminated by the moonlight shining upon the ruined tower, Khalid could not help thinking she looked more a goddess than ever. 

“Would you mind if I joined you?” she asked, her calm voice soothing to Khalid’s own nerves. 

He swept a hand out to indicate the rubble he had previous sat upon, inviting her to join him. Together they found a comfortable seat, Byleth tucking her legs against her chest while Khalid spread his out, almost laying back against the stone. She was so close Khalid could smell the lily perfume she wore. 

Khalid knew he should be on guard, there was a chance Byleth was still his enemy after all, and yet the next thing he knew the first rays of false dawn were lightening the mountains. Soft fingers danced across his scalp, and he could swear she was smiling at the blush quickly spreading over his cheeks. 

Falling asleep in the goddess incarnate’s lap was something that would be frowned at by everyone. 

The skip in his step he walked around with for the rest of the day really did not help to convince him not to try something so stupid again.

/

It did happen again.

And again.

And so many times afterwards, continuing for months. He brought a blanket to wrap her in when the seasons cooled, and chilled wine when spring once more asserted its dominance. His father would have his head if he knew, but for the first time, wrapped in the arms of a woman who was not his to love and bathed in shifting starlight, Khalid finally found rest.

/

Khalid stopped, his hand raised against the wood of the door, breath catching in his throat. The door was opened an inch and he could hear his father’s voice within.

“There we go, my dear,” Mahtab was saying, his breath slightly strained. “You are certainly becoming more expressive.”

He should not look. He knew he should not look. But Khalid was never really one to do what he was supposed to. Through the crack in the door, Khalid had the perfect view of Byleth on Mahtab’s lap, the king kneading her bare breasts. 

He needed to look away, for his own sanity he needed to not see this. Khalid pressed further against the door, slowly opening it to give himself more of a view.

Byleth’s breathing was heavy, her chest rising and falling with each lungful of air. The motion pressed more of her breasts into Mahtab’s hands, and his father smiled as he squeezed them. Byleth whimpered, tossing her head back to rest against Mahtab’s shoulder. She let her head fall, gaze going straight to where Khalid half hid behind the door. 

It was not his imagination, not this time. As his father’s hands slid down Byleth’s side, a soft moan fell from her lips. And when his hands reached her legs, caressing the insides of them slowly, Byleth spread them easily for Mahtab. Khalid heard his father chuckle, even as Byleth did not break her gaze. “My, my,” the king teased. “And much more eager than usual as well.”

Mahtab’s hand disappeared under Byleth’s skirt, his other grabbing her chin and pulling her into a kiss. Even without being able to see it, Khalid could tell when Mahtab pressed a finger inside Byleth, watched as she grabbed onto his wrist and arched her back. He could hear her moaning into the kiss, a sound he convinced himself sounded like a struggle.

Khalid’s hand curled into a fist and he shut his eyes so tightly until it hurt. He wanted to run, wanted to turn away yet again as he had so many times before. Instead, gripped in a moment of insanity, Khalid slammed his fist against the door and shoved his way in.

Mahtab had laid Byleth out across the lounge they occupied, taking up the space between her legs. He glared at his son and moved his hand away from the laces of his pants, the bulge there obvious to anyone with eyes. “This had better be important,” Mahtab growled.

Khalid gave a stiff nod, doing his best to keep his eyes off Byleth. Punishment would come swiftly if his father caught him in such an act. “A report from home,” he explained in short clipped words.

Mahtab sighed, shoulders slumping at the news. He bent down to place a kiss against Byleth’s forehead before sliding off the lounge. “Apologies, my dear. I will need to see to this.”

Byleth simply nodded, taking a moment to redress before she slid past Khalid and out of the room.

He did not flinch.

She was not his.

/

Wine was not going to be his friend tonight. His tongue was much too loose in his mouth, and eyes too readily greedy to milk in the sight of her as she joined him in the tower. 

He placed the bottle between them, watching her lips as she wrapped them around the top where his own were mere moments before, and took a long drink herself. He wanted those lips pressed against him, those arms and legs wrapped around him. And stars above, it ached so much because he knew no one else would do. Their midnight conversations, the way she challenged and encouraged him at the same time, the way she saw him as more than a mere shadow, all of it swam in his memories.

Khalid loved Byleth.

Stars, he was so stupid. He had fallen in love with one of his father’s wives. 

“Were you thinking of me?” he asked, wine addled mind speaking before he considered the wisdom of his words.

He did not need to clarify. He watched the understanding flash across those green eyes immediately. Byleth set the bottle back down, but kept a hand on it. Those small hands traced idle circles across the glass, wiping up condensation. Khalid’s hungry eyes watched the water droplets roll down her fingers, wanting to trace their path with his tongue.

“Will you answer me a question first?” Byleth finally answered.

Khalid hummed, stretching out and lifting his head to the heavens. “An answer for an answer? That seems fair. Ask away, my friend.” He grabbed the base of the bottle, taking it from her and draining a significant amount of what was left.

She watched him with steel in her eyes, leveling the goddess’ judgement at him. Khalid pretended not to see it out of the corner of his eye, keeping his gaze steadily locked on the stars. “What happened to you?”

That phantom pain flared through his scars, leaving Khalid frozen in place. His hand tightened around the bottle until he felt her own warm hands wrap around him, prying the bottle from him before he could hurt himself. Khalid let it go, as if it was a physical manifestation of the fear he felt himself passing off to her.

“I was careless,” Khalid answered after they had fallen into silence, Byleth pressed against his side. “I snuck out at night and saddled up my wyvern. I meant to star gaze from the air, but an assassin had sabotaged my saddle. I fell.” Khalid paused, needing the moment to gather his strength. He had only ever explained what had happened to his mother, who had insisted on knowing the full story of what had happened to her son. It was Byleth now, who squeezed his hand and gave him courage, so very different from the fire of his mother’s anger, that allowed him to go on now. “It wasn’t from very high, certainly not from as high as the assassin hoped. I survived, but my hip was shattered. The assassin had watched the whole thing, and he jumped on me to finish me off. I don’t remember the fight, just the end when I was slamming a rock into his head over and over again, blood and brain coating my face. He dropped on top of me, and I was left there all night, struggling to push a corpse off of me while bleeding out.”

Khalid flexed his hand, remembering the crunch of bone as he fell. And then it was nestled between Byleth’s hands, her warmth chasing away a bit of the pain. Khalid sighed and shook his head, unable to take his hand away. “Some of the best healers in the world are in Almyra, and not even they could fix me completely. Had laid there under him for too long, and my bones didn’t want to reset right. Left me unable to mount a wyvern or properly hold a bow.”

He knew she understood the implications of that. Almyra was a land that valued strength. That assassin had done worse than kill him, he had made the weakling prince truly useless in the eyes of the court. Well, Khalid refused to be useless, refused to be powerless. Even though he had to sink to the level of a snake, welding manipulation like a blade, he had tried to achieve his dreams. It ended with half of them oppressed because he was a damn fool-

“Yes.”

He was so deep in memory he almost missed the squeeze of Byleth’s hand and her soft voice. His brows creased in confusion as he attempted to fight through the wine to figure out what she meant before remembering his earlier question. 

Khalid felt his jaw actually drop. Byleth turned her eyes from the heavens to him, starlight still shining in her eyes. As quickly as everything stopped, they were surging forward. Their lips crashed together, more teeth than anything else. His hands were tangled in her hair and on her hip, pulling her into his lap. Byleth rolled her hips against him, and Khalid moaned into her mouth. Her warmth was pressed up against him, overwhelming him. She was everywhere around him, holding onto him with a rush of desperation, as if she would lose him if she let go.

He should not do this. He should push her away and escape. This would be much too hard if he let it go any further.

But then again, Khalid never really did what he should.

/

Khalid paced the length of the tower, kicking stones out of his way. His mind was in turmoil. He could feel the warmth of Byleth still on his skin hours later after their coupling. He wanted nothing more than to be enveloped in her arms, to feel his lips pressed against every inch of her body. But really, all he wanted was to grab Byleth and run, but he had no idea if she would come with him. Would she be willing to abandon her people and leave them to the mercy of the Almyrans? Khalid knew his father would not mistreat them. He wanted the populace integrated, not rebellious. He would search for them, but he would not punish the Fódlani for the transgression of their goddess. 

But Byleth had no reason to know nor believe that.

He paused when he heard footsteps on the stairs, releasing his breath when Byleth’s mint green head popped up over the stairs. He rushed to her, taking her hands in his own. “Milady,” he whispered, pressing his forehead to hers in greeting.

“Khalid,” Byleth whispered back. 

He shut his eyes, even his name leaving her mouth overwhelming him. “I have to talk to you,” she said, stealing his words from him.

Khalid forced himself back, his heart clenching in fear at the hesitation he saw in Byleth’s eyes. Did she know what he was going to ask? He had not said his plans out loud, and yet he would not be surprised if somehow she knew anyways. If anyone was going to get Khalid on the ‘I believe in the Goddess’ bandwagon, it would be Byleth.

“Same, but you first,” Khalid answered. 

He immediately missed the warmth of her as Byleth stepped back. She folded her hands over her stomach, unable to look at him. Worry began to eat at him as Byleth rolled her bottom lip between her teeth before sighing, finally turning her eyes back to him.

And then Byleth brought Khalid’s world crashing down around his head.

“Khalid, I’m pregnant.”

Pregnant. 

Byleth was pregnant. 

And with only a few hours between their encounter and her announcement, Khalid knew there was no chance the child was his.


End file.
